Our partnership with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Emergency Critical Care Scheme
The University of Hertfordshire is creating new opportunities for students to gain frontline emergency response experience through a partnership with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Emergency Critical Care Scheme (BHECCS).
Eligible students will be able to volunteer with the charity's blue-light response service, supporting emergency calls across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire while developing practical experience in pre-hospital emergency care.
As a charity, BHECCS provides volunteer-delivered pre-hospital emergency care to people across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Its volunteers respond to patients experiencing life-threatening illness or injury under a pilot scheme with the East of England Ambulance Service NHT Trust launched in 2024.
As Alexandra Ulrich, Principal Lecturer and Programme Lead for Paramedic Science, explains:
"When someone is critically ill or injured, every minute matters. Reaching patients before an ambulance arrives means emergency responders can begin vital treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.
"The partnership also creates a unique opportunity for suitably trained paramedic students to gain valuable frontline experience that will enhance their learning and support their development as future clinicians."
Alexandra Ulrich said the partnership further strengthened the University's position as a leader in paramedic education. The University of Hertfordshire was the first university in the UK to offer a paramedic science degree and, in 2025, launched one of the UK's earliest pre-registration paramedic science master's degree programmes.
Benefits of the partnership
This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting healthcare education, strengthening regional partnerships and making a positive impact in the communities we serve. The partnership will benefit students, patients and the wider region by:
- providing paramedic science students with practical insight into emergency and pre-hospital critical care;
- enabling students to apply their learning in a professional healthcare setting alongside trained emergency responders;
- supporting the delivery of volunteer-led emergency critical care services across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire;
- strengthening collaboration between the University and a specialist regional healthcare organisation;
- helping students develop the professional skills, confidence and understanding required for future healthcare careers;
- raising awareness of the vital work undertaken by BHECCS and the importance of community-based emergency care;
- providing a highly visible demonstration of our commitment to healthcare education and supporting regional needs through the branded emergency response vehicle.
BHECCS Emergency Responder Operations Manager Tom Ward said:
“This partnership will put another emergency response car on the road and extend the reach of our service across Hertfordshire. Our responders are often able to reach critically ill patients several minutes before an ambulance, providing immediate treatment when it is needed most.
“The student volunteers will complete the same rigorous selection and assessment process as our other responders, ensuring they are fully prepared to support patients safely and effectively.”
Chief Marketing Officer Stephi-Brett Lee, said: “Providing career-focused education that prepares students for the realities of professional practice is central to our mission at the University of Hertfordshire. We want our graduates to leave not only with academic knowledge, but with the confidence, experience and skills to thrive from day one.
“In healthcare professions such as paramedicine, that preparation is especially important. Future clinicians may one day find themselves making critical decisions where lives are at stake. Experiences like this help students develop the practical skills and professional judgement that cannot be learned from a textbook alone – while also making a meaningful difference across the region.
“We're proud to be working with BHECCS and EEAST to create an opportunity that supports both student development and the wider community.”